Switching device for railways.



N0. 636,|97. Patented Oct. 3|, I899. W. F. BUBR. SWITCHING DEVICE FOR RAILWAYS;

(Application filed June 12, 1899.)

(N0 Model.)

Wazfiw a W UNITED STATES PAT mm WILLIAM F. BURR, OF AGAWAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO OSCAR L. KING, OF SAME PLACE.

SWITC H ING D EV ICE FO R RAI LWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,197, dated October 31, 1899.

lApplioation filed June 12,1899. Serial No. 720,138- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: of the trackway or pavement. Said standard Beit known thatI,WILLIAM F. BURR,acit-ihas its upper portion recessed, as indicated zen of the United States of America,anda resiat f, surrounding which recessed part is the dent of Agawam, in the county of I-lampden yoke or frame g, which constitutes the jour- 5 and State of Massachusetts,have invented cernal-support for the axle or arbor h of the said tain new and useful Improvements in Switchroller D, said journal-support being vertiing Devices for Railways, of which the followcally movable relatively to the upright cl, and

ing is a full, clear, and exact description. the spring G aforementioned has its upper The object of this invention is to provide a .end in bearing against the under side of said 1o novel switching device for streetrailways journal-support G, while its lower end has which is of simple construction and automatic bearing on the base 6 of the upright. 1' repin action to switch the car to the siding or resents a casing or housing to inclose the branch or to insure the running of the car on said upright spring-journal-bearing support the main or straight track, accordingly as g and the lower portion of the roller, exclud- 15 the car reaches the switch running slowly or ing dirt and moisture from said parts. T0

at a considerable speed. the rearward of the location of the roller D The invention consists in the combination is a smaller roller 3', the axis of which is parand arrangement of parts and the construcallel with that of the roller D, and this roller tion of certain of the parts, all substantially has the peripheral portion thereof exposed 20 as hereinafter described, and set forth in the above the tread-surface of the frog or plate 0.

claims. As shown, the tread portion a has the roll- Reference is to be had to the accompanying seat at therein, the same being in the form drawings, in Whichof a socket the walls of which extend around Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion to embrace more than half the circumference 25 of a street-railway comprising the junction of the said roll j, retaining the latter against of the main trackway and the siding and showdisplacement, leaving it, however, free to ro= ing the provision thereat of the novel switchtate. ing device. Fig. 2 is a perspective View, on a As the car approaches the branch and the larger scale, of the switching device, a portion driver or motorman desires to proceed along 30 of the inclosing casing therefor being in verthe branch instead of along the straight track tical section. he slackens the speed of the car to a very slow Similar characters of referenceindicate corrate, and the foremost car-wheel (indicated in responding parts in both views. Fig. 2 by the dotted lines as) coming to rolling In the drawings, A A represent the main bearingagainst both of the rollers D j ceases 35 car-track rails, and B B the rails of the branch to have tractional action on the tread of the or siding, tread portions of these rails being rail, but turns idly on said rollers; but the comprised as portions of the frogs 0 0 as progressive movement of the car in some deusual. The plate or frog comprising the gree which is given thereto insures that the tread portion a of the one branch rail has in car in its forward motion will be swung, the 40 its top the aperture 1), located within which wheel on said rollers being the center of is the roller D, the peripheral portion of which swinging motion, and the opposite car-wheel normally protrudes upwardly above the said will take the track-rail of the siding, and then tread portion a. This roller is spring-supthe continued propulsive movement of the ported and yields downwardly against the car will insure that the forward car-wheel 45 compression of the comparatively stiff spring which is at the side of the switch will cause G under the weight of the car when directly the larger roller D to be bodily depressed upon said roller. against its spring, the car proceeding along As shown, below the aperture b in the frog the branch therebeyond. On the other hand, or plate 0 is a standard d, rising above a should the motorman wish to have the car 50 suitable base 6, which may be supported on proceed along the straight track instead of the cross-ties of the railway below the level .taking the siding he will approach and pass the switch at a comparatively rapid rate of speed, thereby giving the switching device no opportunity to roll under the car-wheel, which will be carried thereover too quickly to permit such action.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a railway-switch, one of the track-rails at the siding adjacent its junction with the main track provided with a roller rotatably mounted and having a portion of its periphery normally protruding above the rail-tread.

2. In arailway-switch, one of the track-rails at the siding adjacent its junction with the main track provided with a roller rotatably mounted, and spring-supported, and having a portion of its periphery normally protruding above the rail-tread.

3. In a railway-switch, one of the track-rails at the siding adjacent its junction with the main track provided with two rollers rotatably mounted one in advance of the other and having portions of their periphery protruding above the rail-tread so that both may simultaneously receive bearing thereon of the rim of the car-wheel, for the purpose set forth.

4. In a railway-switch, one of the trackrails at the siding adjacent its junction with the main track provided with a roller rotatably mounted and at a short distance therebeyond and with another roller, and springsupported, and having a portion of its periphery normally protruding above the railtread.

5. In a raihvay-switch, one of the trackrails at the siding adjacent its junction with the main track provided with an aperture, a roller having its upper peripheral portion normallyprotruding above the top of the rail through said aperture, a journal-support for said roller, located below the apertured portion of the rail, and a supporting-spring for said journal-support.

6. In a railway-switch, one of the trackrails at the siding adjacent its junction with the main track, provided with an aperture, a roller having its upper peripheral portion protruding above the top of the rail through said aperture, a journal-support for said roller, located below the apertured portion of the rail, a supporting-spring forsaid journal-support, and a casing or housing inclosing the spring.

7. In a railway-switch, one of the trackrails orportions comprising the rail-tread at the siding adjacent its junction with the main track provided with the aperture 1) and the upright d thereunder having the upwardlyopening recessfin its upper portion, theyoke or journal supporting frame (1 encircling the upright and having the roller D rotatably mounted therein with its upper peripheral portion protruding above the rail-tread, the spring G supporting the yoke, and the inclosing casing i, substantially as described.

8. In a railway-switch, the plate or frog comprising the tread portion a which is a continuation of one of the branch tracks ofthe railway, constructed with the aperture 12 and the socket m, the roller j rotatable in said socket m, and having aportion of its periphery protruding above the top of the plate, the upright (I mounted below the aperture 1), the yoke or frame g, the roller D journaled in said yoke, and having an upper edge portion thereof normally protruding above the tread of the rail, the spring G and the inclosing housing or casing i, all substantially asdescribed.

\VM. F. BURR.

Witnesses:

WM. S. BELLoWs, M. A. CAMPBELL. 

